MCB Hopes UK Mosque Security Funding Is Not A Public Relations Exercise
The MCB said it welcomes the government’s announcement to grant £117m to protect mosques, Muslim schools and community centers in the UK from hate attacks over the next four years.
The Home Secretary James Cleverly said the investment would give “reassurance and confidence” to British Muslims.
Responding to the announcement, MCB Secretary-General Zara Mohammed said:
"The announcement for greater security and protection for mosques and Muslim communities is much welcome and long overdue given the sharp rise of Islamophobic attacks and hate crime towards Muslims, more than 300% in the last few months. This is a call we have been making since Christchurch Terror attacks in 2019."
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She added, "Some may however question the timing of such an announcement given the lack of meaningful engagement with Muslim communities by the government. Yesterday was the first time the Prime Minister was seen to visit a mosque. There is a real risk that adoption rates will therefore be extremely low.
Whether or not this is a cynical attempt to pre-empt the inevitable allegations of Islamophobia the government will receive upon announcing its well-trailed dangerous extremism policy remains unclear. We hope this is not a public relations exercise rather a genuine attempt to ensure equal security for all.
It is valuable that the government has made this announcement and the MCB will be supporting and encouraging the take-up of this fund as we have done in previous rounds.”
Source: mcb.org.uk
